I have a confession. The first time I watched Buffy and Spike kiss at the end of Once More With Feeling, I giggled. It was shamefully girly, but I was in middle school. Watching the show now, with a college-inspired critical eye, the fact that Buffy has decided to accept Spike as a part of her life is not all that surprising. At this point in the series, I think Spike is the closest thing to an equal Buffy has; or, if not equal, they have at least become more similar.
In Becoming we see Spike acting more tame than he’s ever been. In the opening graveyard battle, he fills Buffy’s role, leading the fight, and even joking with the other Scoobies. Later, he protects Dawn like a vampiric mother hen, rather than ransacking Sunnydale with the hoard of biker demons. Spike admits it “looks like fun,” but in an impressive (comparatively) show of self-denial, he chooses duty over the destruction of innocent mailboxes. The only explanation for this sudden case of moral responsibility is that Spike really has been changed by Buffy. By focusing on ‘what would Buffy do’ it seems like Spike has absorbed some of her characteristics, including her absolute devotion to duty.
Buffy, on the other hand, is closer to being undead for the beginning of Season 6. It’s hard to think that clawing her way out of her own grave wouldn’t give her a different perspective on the demons she fights. Spike, as a vampire, is the only one around her who she’s able to confide in with any hope of understanding. Once back in the real world, Buffy wanders around like a zombie, “Going Through The Motions” of daily life, but never fully committed. It takes Spike to change her perspective, and point out that Buffy can only fully appreciate her life by living it. (Once again, it’s a testament to Joss Whedon’s insanity that a musical about a tap-dancing demon where people sing about mustard and bunnies can still be a relevant part of the series.)
I think it’s mutual desire that pulls Buffy and Spike together. Each wants what they can’t have. Buffy, having been pulled from paradise, changes between wanting to be fully in this life and wanting to escape it. Spike on the other hand, can’t decide if he wants the Slayer to let him Rest In Peace, or if it’s worth all the time spent babysitting for the chance of being with her. The choices they make can only increase the tension as the season progresses.
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Dr. Rose says:
ReplyDeleteThis is a perceptive post on the similarities between Spike and Buffy. This time around, I really am very interested in Spike and Buffy's relationship. It is courtly in the truest sense of the word, in that it inspires Spike to become not just a man, but a better man than he was when he was alive.